The budget has $70,424 in increased costs spread over the operating, utility and capital budgets. The approved request is $2.93 million in equipment replacement.

“We depreciate every piece of equipment. Any new acquisition we have funding for within the equipment reserve, we accumulate monies within it from excess depreciation we have. So those are paid for,” said Brian Acker, director of financial services.

“It’s an ongoing charge. What that $70,000 is referring to is that ongoing charge that’s going up $70,000 and the rationale for that is that their replacement values have increased. There is some new equipment that we now have to provide funding for. So that’s being charged to our various budgets.”

Some of the new equipment includes a $60,000-mower, another asphalt patching truck at a cost of $270,000, a $550,000-fire truck, new $300,000-taxation software and a $100,000-para-transit van.